December 28, 2018
The end of 2018 is near. As we look back on the past year, there have been lots of memorable pop culture moments.
The world watched as an American actress became royalty. Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson made headlines again, and again. People took a side in "Yanny" versus "Laurel." Kanye West visited the White House.
It's been a long year, and you may have forgotten all the movies, celebrity news and major moments that happened in the past 12 months. Take a trip down memory lane with our roundup below.
"This Is Us"
Back in February, we finally found out how Jack Pearson died on "This Is Us," and it was heartbreaking. (SPOILER ALERT) A faulty slow cooker caught fire and set the Pearson's house ablaze. Jack gets everyone out of the burning house safely, but then dies from a heart attack after inhaling too much smoke.
People were devastated, and Crock-Pot issued a statement saying, "The safety and design of our product renders this type of event nearly impossible."
"This is Us" creator Dan Fogelman also tried to ease fans' fears with a tweet.
Taking a moment to remind everyone that it was a 20 year old fictional crockpot with an already funky switch? Let's not just lump all those lovely hardworking crockpots together. #ThisIsUs
— Dan Fogelman (@Dan_Fogelman) January 24, 2018
"Queer Eye"
Netflix's reboot of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" received love from both critics and audiences this year. The makeover show introduced the world to the Fab Five: Bobby (design), Tan (fashion), Karamo (culture), Jonathan (grooming) and Antoni (food).
Views were also introduced to the "French Tuck," the phrase "Can you believe?," and jokes about Antoni's simplistic recipes.
View this post on Instagram2018 was the year of QUEER. 🌈✨💖
A post shared by Queer Eye (@queereye) on
"Black Panther"
"Wakanda forever!" became a popular phrase this year due to the overwhelming success of superhero movie "Black Panther." The film's cast includes Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong'o, among many other talented stars.
"Black Panther" also recently made history as the first superhero movie to be nominated for a Golden Globe in the drama category for best picture.
"A Star is Born"
The remake starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper hit theaters in October and was a major hit. Helping to make the movie a success were songs like "Shallow" and "Always Remember Us This Way."
"A Quiet Place"
John Krasinski both directed and starred in "A Quiet Place," which also featured his wife Emily Blunt. The nearly silent thriller was named one of the 10 best films of the year by the American Film Institute.
"Avengers: Infinity War"
Everyone was talking about the ending of "Avengers: Infinity War" when the movie hit theaters in late April. (SPOILER ALERT) In the last scene, half of all living things in the universe died – including so many of our beloved Marvel superheroes.
"Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again"
The musical featuring ABBA songs was full of charm and dancing, and Cher's appearance at the end of the movie really turned it into a must-see.
"Roseanne"
The show’s reboot was canceled in May, following a racist tweet by Roseanne Barr. Then in October, the spinoff "The Connors" aired on ABC.
"The Incredibles 2"
The sequel to the beloved 2004 animated superhero movie picked up right where the last one left off. While kids were excited for the new Pixar film, many adults were also eager to watch "The Incredibles 2."
This me getting my seat before all the little kids to see Incredibles 2😂 pic.twitter.com/vU323K7U6I
— Cody White (@legendof_7) June 14, 2018
"Crazy Rich Asians"
It was summer's hottest movie, and the first major Hollywood film featuring an Asian and Asian-American cast in 25 years (since 1993's The Joy Luck Club).
"To All the Boys I've Loved Before"
In the words of Peter Kavinsky, "Woah, woah, woah." Netflix struck gold with this teen romance starring Noah Centineo and Lana Condor.
peter woah woah woah kavinsky pic.twitter.com/CA5g7YkUaf
— robs (@lorevshale) August 20, 2018
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
Season 13 ended in November with a finale that was powerful and emotional. Mac, played by Rob McElhenney, performed a contemporary dance routine that left many jaws on the floor.
If you would’ve told me that this season if It’s Always Sunny was gonna end on a completely serious, beautiful, and emotional interpretive dance about Mac’s sexuality I probably wouldn’t have believed you, but here we are and I loved it. Way to take some risks guys!
— Kingdom of Rot (@Kingdom_of_Rot) November 8, 2018
In May, American actress Meghan Markle wed Prince Harry at St. Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle. Then in October, the couple announced Meghan's pregnancy. The baby is due spring 2019.
That wasn't the only royal baby news this year, though. In April, Kate Middleton gave birth to her and Prince William's third child, Prince Louis.
• Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber rekindled their relationship this year, just to have it fizzle out again. Then the Biebs surprised everyone by marrying Hailey Baldwin. The model even changed her Instagram handle to "HaileyBieber."
• Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson made headlines a lot this year. They got matching tattoos. They got engaged. They gushed about each other on Instagram. They moved in together. Ariana included a song called "Pete" on her album "Sweetener." They got a pet baby pig together. Then they broke up and Ariana released "Thank U, Next."
• Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra tied the knot in a glamorous Indian wedding. For one of the ceremonies the bride wore a custom Ralph Lauren gown.
View this post on InstagramAnd forever starts now... ❤️ @nickjonas
A post shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra) on
• Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth also got married, but in a much more low-key manner. The longtime couple said "I do" in a secret ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 23.
• Children and teens decided to eat Tide Pods and post about it on the internet. Thankfully the dangerous trend didn't last long.
• The world was divided over whether they heard "Yanny" or "Laurel" in a viral video clip.
• The Drake "In My Feelings" Challenge became a popular dance craze in June when comedian Shiggy shared a video of himself dancing to the song and acting out the lyrics. Even celebrities like Will Smith and Sterling K. Brown got in on the fad.
• Mason Ramsey, fondly referred to as the Walmart yodel boy, found fame after a video of him went viral. It landed him a spot at Coachella and a record deal with Atlantic Records. He also has a debut single "Famous."
• Around Thanksgiving, moms everywhere were getting pranked. The viral challenge was to ask, "How do I cook a turkey in a microwave?"
• Gritty was introduced as the Philadelphia Flyers' mascot in September. Since then, he's become a media sensation. He's appeared on talk shows, been a topic on "Saturday Night Live" and ultimately won over the heart of the internet. Even the New Yorker got into the act.
• In January, a false missile alert was sent out in Hawaii by an emergency management employee. It created widespread panic until it was revoked 38 minutes after it was issued.
• Oprah delivered a powerful speech at the 2018 Golden Globes in January, where many celebrities showed solidarity for the #MeToo movement.
• Kesha showed her support for the #MeToo movement when she performed "Praying" at the Grammy Awards in late January.
•In February, the Olympic Winter Games took place in South Korea. American figure skater Adam Rippon and American snowboarder Chloe Kim quickly became household names.
• "Bachelor" fans turned on Arie Luyendyk Jr. when he dumped Becca Kufrin on national TV in March, so he could be with runner up Lauren Burnham. Becca went on to become the new "Bachelorette" and got engaged to Garrett Yrigoyen, causing more controversy. It was revealed he had "liked" racist and homophobic posts on Instagram in the past.
• Rapper Kendrick Lamar won a Pulitzer Prize for his album "Damn" in April. He is the first non-classical or jazz artist to win the award.
• Tristan Thompson was caught cheating on a very pregnant Khloe Kardashian in April. The reality star gave birth to a daughter, True, amid the scandal.
• Beyoncé became the first black female to headline the famous Coachella music festival. She also released a surprise joint album with husband Jay-Z this year.
• Childish Gambino's record-breaking "This Is America" video was released in May.
• Kanye West visited the White House for a meeting with President Trump in October. West discussed a series of topics during a 10-minute speech, including mental health, reforming the prison system, creating jobs in the U.S., the 13th Amendment and more. His remarks were met with backlash from other celebrities and musicians.
• An art buyer purchased a painting by street artist Banksy for $1.4 million, only to have it partially shred itself moments later. Banksy shared a video on his Instagram account explaining that he had put the shredder inside the frame years ago.
View this post on Instagram. "The urge to destroy is also a creative urge" - Picasso
A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on
The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots.
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